The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly, to a new and improved footwear construction and method of manufacture by which one or more upper members are joined to a socklining and then directly wrapped around a notched innersole, thereby eliminating the need for a separate wrapping strip.
California-wrap construction is a shoe-making process currently in use that produces footwear having excellent fitting and comfort qualities. These characteristics are achieved by stitching together an upper, a socklining, and a "wrapping strip" in a manner that then permits the strip to be wrapped, or lasted, onto an innersole. The fitting qualities are engineered into the upper pattern and are dependent upon accurate stitching, thereby eliminating the need for conventional lasting. In addition, the joining of the upper and socklining by stitching creates a one-piece "cavity" that is comfortable on the foot. A last is slipped into this cavity without the need for conventional lasting methods, and the footwear is then finished by traditional methods.
The present invention eliminates the need for the wrapping strip and the imprecision of construction often related to the seaming by which it and the upper portions are attached to the socklining. The present invention substitutes the attractiveness, improved fit and added precision of pre-engineered handsewn seams, thereby not only retaining but enchancing and insuring the superior features of the California-wrap construction.